Grand Fashion Shows !

Vimla Patil was associated with Femina, India's number one women's magazine, published by the Times of India Group for 29 years. Femina is Vimla Patil's personal success story. Today, FEMINA is one of the strongest international brands with a vast readership in India and abroad. She initiated the Miss India contest in the mid-sixties for the journal and brought it to its present international stature. Vimla Patil promoted Indian textiles and fashion garments – especially handlooms – for decades by presenting over 4000 fashion shows in India and most countries of the world.
After finishing her long stint with Femina, she built a brand new career for herself as a freelance multi-mediaperson with writing, events, public relations, shows and many more activities in her portfolio!

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Time was when priceless diamond jewellery was seen only in royal portraits or beautifully designed books and catalogues. Today, diamond sales have taken a dramatic turnaround with branded jewellery becoming available to millions of upper middle class women. This year, the diamond jewellery business roped in several top film stars and models to tempt women of all classes to buy diamonds during the festive season.

Aishwarya Rai, Amitabh Bachchan, Gauri Khan, Akshay Kumar, Suneil Shetty, Sushmita Sen, Neelam, Mandira Bedi and many others showed off dazzling diamonds in ads and shows this season to promote the sale of this treasured stone of romance and power!

In recent months, many Bollywood stars and top models have been used as the icons of several brands of diamond jewellery. The story of branding diamond jewellery began when De Beers roped in Aishwarya Rai to feature in a series of beautifully designed television and print media commercials for Nakshatra branded diamond jewellery – with its statements: 'A Diamond Is Forever' or 'A Diamond Symbolises Eternal Love'. These ads reflected the mystery, romance and magic of a diamond, with Aishwarya cavorting in a star-lit desert landscape or dancing sensually in lonely splendour under a bewitching dark sky! These early ads had a tremendous impact on the diamond market.

Amitabh Bachchan – evergreen superstar of the millennium, modeled for Solitaire brand of diamonds.

Suddenly, diamond dealers discovered the 'star value' of ads selling branded jewellery. D'amas followed with ads featuring Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty, Suneil Shetty and others posing with their solitaires to sell fusion jewellery. Solitaire followed by enlisting the charisma of superstar Amitabh Bachchan to sell their hi-end large diamonds. During the festive months this year, Sushmita Sen appeared in the campaign for Kiah diamonds. Neelam Kothari – herself a major jewellery designer after she quit her successful film career – modelled her own jewellery in ads for Neelam Jewels. Miss India for Miss World Saayli Bhagat was hired to model diamond jewellery for the TBZ In Vogue range of jewellery.

Dark and sultry Bipasha Basu – and before her, the radiant Raveena Tandon – walked the catwalk wearing 'lapel' Signature diamond designs created by top designer Poonam Soni. Many 'pretty young starlets' of Bollywood modelled Orra jewellery. Asmi diamonds presented two-or-three-in-one detachable jewellery items with actor-model Mandira Bedi posing smilingly to showcase it.

Grand Fashion Shows Held To Showcase Diamond Jewellery

This year, huge diamond jewellery shows have been mounted by international diamond companies like De Beers, Asmi and D'Amas with India's top models and stars appearing on stage, wearing dazzling necklaces, bracelets, rings and dangling earrings. Private shows, small exhibitions and exclusive previews have mushroomed in metro city showrooms and boutiques. At every such happening, diamonds have been promoted as the stone of mystery and romance. At these shows, society women ogle at the stars and buy new, fusion style diamond jewellery over wine and cheese or canaps and juices. Ordinary women are flocking to department stores, traditional jewellery shops and hi street fashion boutiques to buy their share of diamonds. Add to this the huge cache of festive ads on television and street hoardings, which suggest diamonds as gifts for brides (Vivaha jewellery) and for every auspicious occasion including Diwali. Newspapers too, feature interviews with celebrity women who endorse the trend of buying diamonds for Diwali! All in all, diamond sales are zooming up and touching the skies this year!